Definition
A document prepared by the aircraft manufacturer that describes the operation and handling of a specific make and model of aircraft. Unlike an FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM), an owner/information manual is not required to be carried in the aircraft and is not regulatory. It typically contains general performance, systems, and operating information for an aircraft type rather than for one specific serial-numbered airplane.
Plain English
A manufacturer's handbook that explains how a particular type of aircraft works and how to operate it. It is helpful reference material, but it does not have legal standing the way an approved flight manual does, and the pilot is not required to keep it on board.
Context Anchor
You see this term when comparing different airplane manuals, especially older owner’s manuals or information manuals with an approved Airplane Flight Manual or Pilot’s Operating Handbook.
Derivation
Manual comes from a Latin word meaning hand. The idea is a handbook kept close at hand for reference. In this term, the manual is meant to be a practical guide for the aircraft owner or pilot, not necessarily the approved legal manual for one exact airplane.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on it for model-specific information needed for safe preflight planning and operation when a formal Airplane Flight Manual is not required.
Intuition Check
Do not assume aircraft owner/information manual means the approved legal manual for that airplane. Here it means a manufacturer’s guide that may be informational unless it is clearly approved for the specific aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
The older trainer did not have an FAA-approved AFM, so the pilot studied the aircraft owner/information manual to understand the airplane's systems and normal procedures.
Example Sentence 2
The aircraft owner/information manual listed the recommended tire pressures for normal operations.